Des Plaines council names Ald. Michael Charewicz acting mayor

January 08, 2013|By Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune reporter

Michael Charewicz (Handout)

A Des Plaines alderman has been selected to serve as the city's acting mayor while presiding over a local electoral board tasked with hearing challenges to petitions filed by two candidates in the April election.

This week, the City Council chose Ald. Michael Charewicz, 8th, to fill the role of acting mayor. Charewicz now joins City Clerk Gloria Ludwig and Ald. Dick Sayad, 4th, as the three-member local electoral board, which will hear recent objections to petitions filed by mayoral candidate Mark Walsten, 6th Ward alderman, and Gregory Sarlo, who is challenging incumbent James Brookman for alderman of the 5th Ward.

The electoral board's first hearing is scheduled later this month. If the board finishes its business by the City Council's Jan. 22 meeting, Charewicz will step down as acting mayor and a new one will need to be selected, said City Manager Mike Bartholomew.

But in an effort to maintain consistency through the electoral board process, Charewicz would remain acting mayor if the board has not reached a decision on the petition objections by Jan. 22. If that scenario occurs, Bartholomew said that Charewicz's term as acting mayor would end at the Feb. 4 City Council meeting - regardless of whether the electoral board has completed its work.

Walsten is squaring off against former Des Plaines Mayor Anthony Arredia and current 3rd Ward Ald. Matthew Bogusz for the mayoral seat. He said the individual who filed an objection to his petition signatures also circulated petitions for Bogusz.

"It's a strategy," Walsten said. "Everybody running has the right to use that strategy."

However, Walsten said he was confident his name would appear on the April ballot.

"We are doing work that we normally wouldn't have to," he said. "But we're not going to let it dissuade us."

Bogusz could not be reached for comment.

The city's now-former Mayor Martin Moylan officially resigned on New Year's Eve, fulfilling his promise to step down by the end of 2012 in preparation for his next role as state representative in the 55th District.

In his resignation speech, Moylan thanked Des Plaines residents for the opportunity to serve as their mayor.

"It has been a privilege that I will always cherish," Moylan said. "Your confidence in my ability to represent our community has always made me very proud."